NATIONAL SECURITY

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 265, 5 August 1937, Page 10

NATIONAL SECURITY

Organisation to Cope With Emergencies DEFENCE CO-ORDINATION To deal with any national crisis or emergency that may arise, the Government has established an organisation known as the Organisation of National Security, which is equivalent in principle to* the Committee of Imperial Defence at Home. In making this announcement yesterday the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, said that the organisation, in addition to co-or-dinating all branches of defence, was concerned with coping with situations, that might arise through an epidemic, or an earthquake disaster, or similar unforeseen events requiring instant emergency measures. “There was a time, when we ha<t an earthquake, when we had to start and do things quickly and get some sort of organisation together to meet the position,” said Mr. Savage. “We have arrived at a time when these things have to be anticipated, and when'we have to be prepared for them. “For instance, if it did come to a declaration of war, everyone would have some idea of what would happen to our export trade. It would mean the reorganisation of our internal economy, and we have to have a machine ready for action to accomplish this. Apart from any considerations of war, we have our economic life to maintain. “The objective of this organisation is to be in a position to deal with any form of crisis—epidemics, earthquakes, or anything else. We don’t want to have to run round and get an organisation together when we are in the middle of a crisis.”